Improvement in portable fences



THOMAS DoNEHoo. lmprovementw-in Portable Fences. No. l20,506. Pazenzedoct. 31,1871.

PATENT @Enron THOMAS DONEHOO, OF RICHMOND, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,506, dated October 31,1871.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs DoNEHoo, of Richmond, in the county of Ray and State of Missouri, have invented certain Improvements in Post-and-Bail Fence, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a portable fence in such a manner as to give it firmness and durability and be economical in the manufacture of the same.

I first prepare a sill of a suitable length and thickness, which is placed on the ground across the line of the fence. Near one end of the sill is attached an upright post, extending obliquely toward the opposite end ofthe sill, and is provided with a series of brackets, upon which the fencerails are placed. The opposite end of the sill has a brace attached to it, which inclines to and bears against the post to firmly support the same. The fence-posts may be of any suitable height, and provided with a number of brackets to correspond therewith. The sill-post with brackets and brace are all firmly connected together to form one section of the fence. The fence is composed of a series of these sections set on the ground, with the sills embedded therein, at suitable distances apart, and connected or the in' terval spanned by a number of fencerails resting on the brackets, as more fully hereinafter described. Two of the fence-rails will be broader than the rest, and will b e notched near each end of the rail with square notches to fit onto the brackets. These will determine the length of the panels. One of the rails that is notched will be placed on the highest set of 'brackets andthe other on the lowermost set, thus bracing the fence lengthwise at top and bottom. The ground-rail is notched onto the sills and kept to place by spikes driven in the sills in front of the rail. l

Figure l of the accompanying drawing is a sketch of an end view of one panel, showing the post and brackets, the brace and sill. Fig. 2 is a sketch of the rails.

On Fig. l, A is the sill. It ought to be made of durable wood, and of such length as will give support to the fence. For a fence of five feet high it should be four feet long at least on level ground, and longer where the ground is sloping. It may be made of split or sawed lumber, or

at the base.

cut from a round pole, and faced on two sidesthe side on which it lies and the side to which the post and brace are fastened. The side next to the ground should not be less than six inches broad, and in thickness two inches or more. B is the post; it may be ive or five and a half feet high, more or less, six inches broad, and two inches thick. This also may be sawed or split. If split, it will be faced on the side to which the brackets will be nailed. It is spiked to the side of the sill, sloping backward from the line of the fence. If it is five feet and a half high it will lean two feet from a perpendicular on level gromld, and less on sloping ground, so that the top of the fence on a hill side will range with that part of the fence which stands on level ground. The fence should always lean toward the hill. C in Fig. l is the brace. It should be about three feet and six inches high if the post is five feet and six inches, and in like proportion to any length of post that may be used. It is fastened with spikes to the sides of the sill three feet from the post, It leans toward the post, so that the notch d in the edge of the post will rest on the top of the brace. The brace may be made of anything strong enough to give support to the weight of the fence. I represents the brackets upon which the rails rest. They may be made of anything suitable. They should be three inches broad and one or one and a quarter thick, and in length they will be in proportion Vto the thickness of the rails they are to receive. nailed to the sides of the posts, pointing obliquely upward and'outward, so as to make secure rests for the rails.

Fig. 1 is a sketch of the rails before they are placed on the bracket. l is the ground rail; it is notched through half of its thickness to t on the sills below the lowermost bracket 5 it is kept in place by spikes in front of it driven into the sills, but not into the rail; it is left ee,

Vso that it may be easily moved when the fence is moved. 2 is a notched rail; a broad rail is chosen and notched deep enough to rest rmly on rst two brackets below. 3 4 5 6 are coinmon rails; they are laid on the brackets. 7 is a notched rail; it is placed on the uppermost brackets. 2 is also a notched rail, placed on the two lowermost brackets for the purpose of giv- They are ing iirmness to the fence. Endwise the panels C, inclined stationary posts B, with brackets I will be joined by overlappingtne ends ofthe rails, notched rails l, 2, and 7, and the loose rails 3, 4 placing the ends of the rails of the second panel 5, &c., all constructed as shown and described. set up on the same brackets in Which the ends THOMAS DONEHOO. of the rails of the rst panels are placed.

I claim as my invention- The combination ofthe sills A, inclined braces Witnesses WILLIAM P. HUBBELL,

J Ali/Ins W. SMITH. (52) 

